The Mazda 3 Is The Last Stick-Shift Economy Car Standing And It Feels Ridiculously Nice

With 186 horsepower and 186 lb.-ft. of torque on tap, it’s still reasonably potent, and it enjoys a largely impressive reliability track record. Below about 3,500 RPM, you can barely tell there’s an engine up front at all.

Equally impressive is how Mazda’s managed to quiet its din.